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ALTEMUS’ 

BEAUTIFUL STORIES SERIES 


FIVE 

KINGS IN A CAVE 


THE STORY OF A GREAT BATTLE 

f H!" WILLARD. 


ILLUSTRATED 


PHILADELPHIA 
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY 


Altemus’ 

Illustrated 

Beautiful Stories 
Series 

ft 

The First Christmas. 

The First Easter. 

Once in Seven Years. 

The Story of the Jubilee 

With Hammer and Nail. 

The Story of Jael and Sisera 

Five Kings in a Cave. 

The Story of a Great Battle 

The Wisest Man. 

The Story of Solomon 

A Farmer’s Wife, 

The Story of Ruth 

The Man Who Did Not Die. 

The Story of Elijah 

When Iron Did Swim, 

The Story of Elisha 

What is Sweeter than Honey. 

The ^Story of Samson 

Twenty-five Cents Each 

Copyright, 1906 

By Henry Altemus 






FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

THE STOKY OF A GREAT BATTLE. 

I N the last chapter of Deuteronomy, the fifth 
book of the Old Testament, we are told 
that . . Joshua the son of Nun was 

full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid 
his hands upon him/^ 

With the exception of Jesus, the mission of 
Moses was the greatest ever entrusted to a man. 


5 




FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

He belonged to the tribe of Levi, the third son 
of Jacob. His father’s name was Amram, and 
his mother’s name was Jochebed. He had a sis- 
ter Miriam and a brother Aaron, and this sister 


“oppressed by cruel taskmasters.” 

and brother were intimately associated with him 
in many of the wonderful deeds that gained for 
him the title of ‘^The Deliverer of Israel.” 


6 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 



A BUSH OF ACACIA APPARENTLY ON FIRE.” 


( 7 ) 







FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


From early manhood, at least, Moses appears 
to have been wrapped up in a love for his peo- 
ple. He found them in bondage to Pharaoh, 
king of Egypt, oppressed by cruel taskmasters, 
and compelled to perform the duties of common 
laborers. He took them from this condition and 
made of them a nation. 

But for all this love for his people, and for 
all his hatred of oppression, Moses shrank at 
first from the task of delivering the Israelites 
from the bondage of Egypt. For forty years 
he had been an Arabian shepherd, living in the 
seclusion and simplicity of a shepherd’s life. 

The divine call came to him in the wilderness 
near the mountain of Horeb, where he beheld a 
bush of acacia apparently on fire. Yet, as he 
looked, the bush was not consumed, and soon 
the voice of God was heard from its midst, tell- 
ing him that He had heard the cry of the chil- 
dren of Israel; that He proposed to set them 
free ; arid that He had chosen Moses himself to 
be the deliverer of his countrymen, and their 


9 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


conductor to the land which He had promised 
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 

Moses felt unequal to such an immense under- 
taking. He urged that the Israelites would not 
listen to him; that he would be unable to con- 
vince them of his mission ; and that he was not 
fitted to plead either with king or people. 

But God bestowed upon him power to do won- 
derful things by which he would be able to con- 
vince all doubters ; promised that the words he 
was to speak should he put into his mouth ; and 
that his brother Aaron should go with him and 
act as his spokesman. 

Moses began his work. He first got the peo- 
ple to believe in him, and then he appealed to 
Pharaoh to let the Israelites go to their prom- 
ised inheritance. His successive appeals to the 
king were met with positive refusals, and for 
these refusals God sent nine national calamities, 
each more severe than the other, upon the Egyp- 
tian nation. Still Pharaoh refused, and in- 
creased his oppression of the Israelites. 

Once more God laid his hand upon the Egyp- 

lO 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 



MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH. 


( 11 ) 



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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


tians. The first-born in every Egyptian home, 
and the first-born of all their cattle, died; then 
Pharaoh agreed to Moses ’ demand, and allowed 
the children of Israel to leave his kingdom, 
with their substance, which was considerable, in 
flocks and herds at least, increased by valuable 
gifts. 

Once they were gone, however. Pharaoh re- 
pented of what he had done ; pursued the people 
he had just emancipated with a great army; 
followed them into the channel formed by the 
receding waters of the Red Sea, and with all his 
host perished miserably there in the returning 
waters. 

For the ensuing forty years the Israelites 
wandered in the wilderness, continually grum- 
bling and finding fault with their leader. The 
burden he was compelled to bear by this thank- 
less and obstinate people was a heavy one, but 
without reserve he gave himself up to their wel- 
fare. His life came to a close at the end of the 
forty years of wandering, and then, and then 


13 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


only, did the Israelites mourn him as the great- 
est man of their race. 

Joshua was the man who led this people 
across the Eiver Jordan, conquered for them 
the promised land, and distributed it among the 
tribes. His first appearance in the Bible narra- 
tive is at the time when the Israelites, unused to 
war, won the battle with the Amalekites at Re- 
phidim. He was their general when the nation 
for the first time took up arms to defend them- 
selves. 

During this long and fierce fight, Moses, at 
the top of a hill, looked on in prayer and trust. 
With him were his brother Aaron, and Hur, the 
husband of his sister Miriam. As the day wore 
on, Moses’ hands grew heavy from being held 
so long in an attitude of prayer, and whenever 
he let them fall from weariness, the Amalekites 
prevailed. So Aaron and Hur seated him upon 
a stone and held up his aching arms until 
Joshua had won the victory. 

Joshua belonged to the tribe of Ephraim — 
the second son of Joseph — and the name pf his 


14 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 



“AARON AND HUR HELD UP HIS ACHING ARMS.” 


( 15 ) 










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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

father was Nun. Hoshea is another form of the 
word Joshua, and means ^ ^ salvation. ’ ’ It is 
also given as Oshea, which means ^^help,’’ 
Jehoshua, Jeshua, and Jesus. By this last 
name Joshua is mentioned twice in the New 
Testament. Shortly before his death, Moses 
solemnly invested Joshua with the command 
which he was so soon to lay down ; and after the 
death of Moses, God promised to aid Joshua, 
saying: 

strong and of a good courage; Joe not 
afraid, neither he thou dismayed: for the Lord 
thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest/^ 
A horn soldier, strong and brave, as the lead- 
er of a nation should be, Joshua now began the 
second period of his career. At this time the 
Israelites were a very different nation from the 
timorous people that Moses had led out of 
Egypt. Forty years of nomadic life had made 
them not unlike the tribes from whom they were 
to wrest the land of Canaan, according to God ’s 
promise. They were hardy, enthusiastic, and 
ready to follow their new leader. 


2 — Five Kings in a Cave. 


17 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


Before entering the promised land, Joshua 
sent spies across the River Jordan into Jericho, 
and learned from them that the inhabitants of 
that city were already afraid of the Israelites. 
They were able to tell him that a woman who 
had been kind to them, in fact, hiding them 
when their lives were in danger, said to them : 

know that the Lord hath given you the 
land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and 
that all the inhabitants of the land faint because 
of you.** 

Having this information, Joshua made ready 
to cross the river. He ordered the encampment 
broken up, and arranged the order of march. 
Priests, carrying the ark of the covenant, went 
first, and, with a space of about a mile between 
them, the main body of the people followed on. 
Joshua had told them that God was about to 
work wonders on their behalf, and, eagerly ex- 
pectant, they marched steadily towards the 
stream that rolled between them and their in- 
heritance. 

As soon as the feet of the priests touched its 

i8 


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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 







JOSHUA INVESTED 


WITH THE COMMAND. 


( 19 ) 



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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

waters, the river ceased to flow onward, and 
as the host reached its brink they beheld, as 
their fathers had done on the shores of the 
Red Sea, a crossing prepared by God. 


A FORD ON THE RIVER JORDAN. 

From a Photograph. 

With the ark supported on their shoulders, 
the priests stood motionless as the people 
streamed past them and gained the opposite 
bank. Then one chief from each of the twelye 


21 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 



tribes took upon liis shoulder a stone from the 
place where the priests still stood, and crossed 
to the other side. 

When this had been done, Joshua set up 


THE WILDERNESS NEAR GILGAL. 

From a Photograph. 

twelve other stones in the middle of the miracu- 
lously made passageway, and the Bible says, 
they are there unto this day,** Then, at Josh- 


22 



FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN. 


( 23 ) 






FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


na’s command, the priests and their sacred bur- 
den moved forward, and as soon as they were 
safely on the western bank, the river flowed 
onward as before. 


THE PLAIN OF JERICHO. 

From a Photograph. 

Gilgal was the place where the Israelites 
made their first camp after crossing the Jordan, 
and there the twelve stones which were borne 



25 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


across by the chiefs were set up as a memorial. 
Then Joshua addressed the people in these 
words : 

^^When your children shall ash their fathers 
in time to come, saying, What mean these 
stones? Then ye shall let your children hnoiv, 
saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry 
land. For the Lord your God dried up the 
waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were 
passed over, a^ the Lord your God did to the 
Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until 
we were gone over: That all the people of the 
earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it 
is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your 
God for everW 

The Israelites were now in the promised land, 
and one of their first acts was to keep the Pass- 
over, a national feast instituted on the night 
when Moses led their fathers out of Egypt. 

On the following day the supply of manna 
ceased. This manna was a food supplied by 
God as a substitute for bread, from day to day, 
during the forty years of wandering. It was 


26 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

















eating the PASSOVER IN EGYPT. 


( 27 ) 



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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


no longer needed, and^ its cessation showed the 
Israelites that the weary wilderness was a thing 
of the past. Now they could eat of the grain 
and fruits of the land of Canaan. 

The word Canaan, as applied to the land it- 
self, means ^ ‘lowland,’^ in distinction from the 
higher lands on the east side of the Jordan. As 
applied to a person, it refers to Canaan, the 
fourth son of Ham, who was the second son of 
Noah, and from him sprang the various na- 
tions whom the Israelites found peopling a 
large part of the country west of the Jordan. 

Eich and powerful kings ruled the land of 
Canaan. They had walled cities, fortresses, 
and armies, and were leagued together by trea- 
ties and agreements. Yet we are told that, 
when they learned that God had made the 
waters of Jordan stand still to allow a nation 
of strangers to enter their country, they were 
almost in a state of panic. 

Jericho, a very ancient city, lay directly in 
the path of the invading Israelites. It was 
ruled by a king, and its walls were so thick 


29 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


that houses were built upon them. At this time 
it was in a state of strict defence, for it would 
naturally he the first object of attack by the 
Israelites. 

We can easily conceive that Joshua, who was 
as prudent as he was brave, personally ex- 
amined the country about Jericho before in- 
vesting the city. On one occasion he suddenly 
saw before him a man with a drawn sword in 
his hand. Boldly he challenged him: ^^Art 
thou for us, or for our adversaries? and the 
answer came, ^^Nay; hut as captain of the host 
of the Lord am I now come/^ 

Then Joshua was told to take the shoes from 
off his feet, for the place was holy ground — 
the same command given to Moses from the 
midst of the burning bush. It was the voice 
of God, and Joshua *^fell on his face to the 
earth, and did. worship.^* After this, God gave 
Joshua directions how to take the city of Jeri- 
cho, and Joshua followed these instructions ex- 
actly. In all, God spoke to Joshua on eight 
different occasions. 


30 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 





“JOSHUA FELL ON HIS FACE.” 


( 31 ) 



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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


Each day, for six days, the army of the 
Israelites marched once around the city, the 
appointed priests carrying the ark, with seven 
other priests preceding it, blowing upon trum- 
pets made of rams’ horns. About dawn on the 
seventh day they made the circuit of the city 
seven times, after which the priests blew upon 
the trumpets, and the army raised a mighty 
shout. Then the walls of Jericho crashed to 
the ground. 

Over the ruins the Israelitish army poured 
into the city and destroyed every man, woman, 
and child in it, except the woman who had be- 
friended the two spies and those who were in 
her house. All cattle, sheep, and beasts of 
burden were also destroyed. The taking of 
Jericho in this manner is one of the fifty-five 
miracles recorded in the Old Testament. 

The spoil of Jericho was immense, and the 
Israelites were strictly commanded not to re- 
tain any article for individual use; everything 
was to he consecrated to God: but there was a 
man named Achan, of the tribe of Judah, who 

3 — Five Kings in a Cave. 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 

coveted certain things that he had found, and 
hid them in his tent. 

After Jericho was taken, Joshua sent out 
spies to report upon a city called Ai. They 
brought back word that Ai could be easily taken 
by two or three thousand men. Joshua de- 
spatched an army of about three thousand men 
against the city, but the men of Ai easily re- 
pulsed them and drove them down the hill, kill- 
ing many of them. 

This discouraged the Israelites, and Joshua 
fell upon his face, imploring God not to deliver 
them to their enemies. God commanded him to 
rise up from the ground, and told him that the 
Israelites had sinned in keeping back some of 
the spoil of Jericho, which He had demanded 
consecrated to His service, and for this reason 
they had been defeated. 

Then Joshua called the people together, and 
by the casting of lots God showed him who had 
sinned. The lot fell upon Achan, and he then 
confessed that he had kept for himself a beau- 
tiful garment and some pieces of silver and 


34 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 



ACHAN CONFESSING HIS SIN. 


( 35 ) 





FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


gold. His tent was searched and the booty 
was found there. 

As a punishment, Achan and his family were 
stoned to death, and then, with everything that 
he had possessed, they were burned to ashes 
in a valley which was afterwards named 
Achor, which means ‘ ‘ trouble. ’ ’ The Bible re- 
cords eight other instances of casting lots, and 
six other instances of persons having been 
stoned to death. 

Joshua captured Ai eventually, burned the 
city, and hanged its king upon a tree. News 
of what had been done at Jericho and Ai must 
have spread abroad, for soon the Canaanitish 
kings banded together to crush the Israelites. 
The people of Gibeon, however, knowing that 
God was with the invaders, determined to make 
peace with them if possible, and sent ambassa- 
dors to the camp at Gilgal. Their shoes were 
worn out, as if with a long journey, their clothes 
were old, and the bread which the/ showed to 
Joshua was dry and mouldy. 

Joshua and the princes, or chiefs, of the 


37 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 


tribes, were deceived by these things. They 
thought that the Gibeonites had really come a 
long journey, and, without laying the matter 
before God, as they should have done, made a 
treaty of peace with them. 

When it was discovered that their journey 
had been a very short one, and that they were 
from one of the tribes which God had com- 
manded should be destroyed, they confessed 
their stratagem, saying they had resorted to it 
to save their lives. 

Because of his promise not to kill them, 
Joshua could not do so, but he ordered that 
they should be ^^hewers of wood and drawers 
of water for the Israelites and for the altar of 
the Lord. 

It was not long before five Amorite kings, 
alarmed at the progress of the Israelitish inva- 
sion, made a league with each other for the pur- 
pose of destroying Gibeon. These confederates 
were Adoni^edec, king of Jerusalem, Hoham, 
king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Ja- 
phia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eg- 

38 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 







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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


Ion. The king of Jerusalem was the leading 
spirit in the confederation. 

Gibeon was a royal city, much larger than 
Ai, and was one of four cities belonging to the 
Hivites, a nation mentioned in the narrative of 



DEFEAT OF THE FIVE KINGS. 


Jacob’s return to the land of Canaan. It was 
about five miles from Jerusalem, and is known 
now as El-Jib. Believing that the Israelites 
would be strengthened by their alliance with the 
Gibeonites the five kings massed their armies, 


41 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


and encamped before Gibeon. Greatly alarmed, 
Joshua’s new allies sent word to Gilgal, im- 
ploring assistance. 



RUINS OF GIBEON. 

From a Photograph. 


Once more God spoke to Joshua, saying to 
him/ ^ Fear them not: for I have delivered them- 
into thine hand; there shall not a man of them 


42 



FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE 



JOSHUA AND THE GIBEONITES. 


( 43 ) 






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stand before thee/^ So Joshua made a night- 
march, fell upon the confederates suddenly, and 
inflicted a terrible slaughter on them. The 
armies of the five kings fled before the Israel- 
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“there was no day like that before.” 
hailstones upon them, and the hailstones killed 
more than were slain by the sword. 

As the Israelites were pursuing their ene- 
mies, the daylight began to fail, and Joshua 


45 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 


prayed to God to lengthen the day. And God 
did so by causing the sun to stand still upon 
Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, 
so that there was sufficient light to destroy the 
armies of the five kings. Of this day the Bible 
says : 

And there was no day like that before it or 
after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice 
of a man: for the Lord fought for Israeli ^ 
But the five kings escaped and hid themselves 
in a cave. 

After the army had returned to Gilgal, word 
was brought to Joshua that the five kings were 
in a cave at Makkedah. At once he ordered the 
mouth of the cave to he stopped with great 
stones, and a guard set by it. Then he ordered 
an unrelenting pursuit of any of the enemy 
who might have escaped, and only when the last 
straggler had been destroyed did the army re- 
turn to camp. 

Joshua then ordered the mouth of the cave 
opened, and the five kings brought before him. 
He had the army assembled and commanded the 

46 


FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 



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FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE. 



captains, or leaders, to put their feet upon the 
necks of the captives, who were then killed and 
afterwards hanged upon five trees, where they 
were left until evening. The story of the five 
kings who hid in a cave ends in these words : 

And it came to pass at the time of the going 
down of the sun^ that Joshua commanded, and 
they took them down off the trees, and cast them 
into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid 
great stcnes in the cavers mouth, which remain 
until this very dayJ^ 


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